


One True Pairing

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-22
Updated: 2014-11-22
Packaged: 2018-02-26 15:42:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2657471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“They're your ultimate favorite couple.  No matter what happens, they're going to be endgame.  It’s like the Meredith and Derek of real life.  He might be with Addison now but it’s not meant to be and deep down, all three of them know it.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	One True Pairing

**Author's Note:**

> I was minding my own business on Tumblr when I scrolled past the otpprompts post ‘Imagine your OTP hanging out together. Suddenly, someone (a stranger or whoever you want them to be) comes up to both A and B and proclaims that they ship them together. How they react is up to you’. Of course I gave it my own little twist.

“I totally ship you guys.” Penelope handed Kevin a coffee cup. “I know I shouldn’t but it’s impossible not to. It’s all so sexy, antagonistic, witty, and full of colorful banter.”

“Excuse me?” Erin folded her arms, looking past Dave at the technical analyst.

“I ship you guys. I'm sure I'm not the only one.”

“I kind of do, but it’s one of my DL ships.” Kevin said. “We don’t really talk about those.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about.” Erin said. “Agent Rossi, we can continue this later. We’re going to have to resolve the issue before the midmonth meetings. I need to walk in with my eyes wide open.”

“Don’t go,” Penelope said. “Have coffee with us?”

“I'm a very busy woman, Penelope. My days of sitting and chatting on the Bureau’s time were over a long time ago.”

“Oh I know but everyone deserves a break.” Penelope reached into the kitchen cabinet, grabbing an FBI mug. “You work harder than almost anyone in this building. This is not just any coffee…we have the good stuff on our floor.”

“What do you define as the good stuff?” Erin asked.

“Ethiopian Sidamo.” Kevin held up his cup.

“Caramel Macchiato creamer.” Penelope added.

It was tempting but she didn’t want to say. Erin already had a cup of coffee this morning. She surely didn’t need more caffeine pumping through her veins when most of her late morning and afternoon would be spent doing paperwork. Being the Section Chief was something Erin loved and had worked hard for over her years as an agent. On some days the victory was quite anti-climactic.

“One cup.” Penelope smiled. “You need some time away from that stuffy old office anyway.”

“She's right about that.” Dave said.

“I don’t think anyone asked you, David.”

“Don’t call me David.” He shook his head.

“Don’t call you…” Erin looked at him. Then she turned to look at Penelope and Kevin. “You know what, I will have a cup of coffee. Thank you, Penelope.”

“No problem. Take this Kevin,” she handed her boyfriend her coffee cup. “I have to make this just right.”

Kevin nodded, taking himself and both cups over to the table. Erin stood against the counter; she was close to Penelope and the coffeemaker. Dave was still in the room. It seemed almost as if he didn’t know where to go.

“Would you like a cup of coffee too, Agent Rossi?” Kevin asked. “It really is the good stuff.”

“I have a lot of work to do.” Dave replied.

“You should get to it.” Erin said.

“Erin.” Dave nodded. He turned and walked out of the kitchen.

“Tell me what shipping is?” she whispered when she asked.

“Have a seat, ma'am.” Penelope gave her the coffee cup and waved toward the kitchen table. The FBI Section Chief sat down with the two analysts. “You two are made for each other. Even if you're not really, you totally are.”

“That’s where you lost me.” Erin sipped her coffee. “Oh my God, this is delicious.”

“I know, right?” Kevin nodded.

“Shipping is basically when fans want two characters together who may not be together in canon and they make it happen.” Penelope said.

“How do they make it happen?” Erin asked.

“Pure fan power. I can imagine you and Rossi having coffee and arguing about the same thing you’ve been arguing about for like 25 years. But it’s not a real argument; its sexy banter.”

“And the Section Chief always wins.” Kevin said.

“No,” the tech analyst shook her head. “Sometimes Rossi wins…and he never lets her forget when he does.”

“That sounds like David.” Erin tried to hide her smile with her coffee cup. “We’re not characters in a movie or book, Penelope, we’re real people.”

“It’s a bit complicated but shipping real people still falls within the confines of fandom.” Kevin said. “It’s easier when the people are already together.”

“David and I are not together.” The Section Chief shook her head. Her tone was adamant.

“You always call him David.” Penelope said. “It’s David or Agent Rossi.”

“That’s his name.”

“No one else calls him that.”

“I'm sure someone does.” Erin quickly went through her mind trying to remember who else might call David by his whole name. She was coming up short and not liking it.

“Nope,” Penelope shook her head. “Just you. For the record, ma'am, I think you'd be adorable together. It’s like high school sweethearts who lost touch with each other over time and then meet again in middle age. They try to fight it, too much happened in their youth, but their love is inevitable.”

“And they share some secret from the past that may either bring them closer together or tear them apart.” Kevin said.

“You two have overactive imaginations.” Erin pointed at them.

“I know, isn’t it wonderful?” Penelope grinned. “Thinking happy thoughts about my agents helps me when they're out there in the world risking their lives.”

“Well who do you ship everyone else with?”

“It’s impossible not to ship JJ and Will.” Kevin replied. “We shouldn’t, I know, but I do.”

“I can't ship my best friend. I love them to pieces but I don’t want to imagine their pillow talk.” Penelope said. “It’s fun to imagine you and Rossi though.”

“Prentiss and Hotch for sure.” Kevin said.

“Oh my God, yes,” Penelope grabbed his arm. “Prentiss and Hotch have the most amazing relationship in my head. It’s sexy and fun but it can be serious and a little dark too. Can I admit that at one time I shipped Prentiss and Gideon? Don’t tell anyone, they were like my first FBI RP ship. Her inner light was so good for his darkness.”

“I can see that.” Kevin nodded.

“But you and Rossi are my otp, ma'am. For sure.” Penelope nodded.

“O-T-P?” Erin raised her eyebrow.

“One true pairing.” Kevin replied. “They're your ultimate favorite couple. No matter what happens, they're going to be endgame. It’s like the Meredith and Derek of real life. He might be with Addison now but it’s not meant to be and deep down, all three of them know it.”

“You shouldn’t play with people’s lives.” Erin said. She finished her coffee, got up from the table, and went to the sink to wash her cup. “Even if it’s just in your imagination, things have a way of getting out of control. The consequences don’t matter for fictional characters like Meredith Grey. Agent Rossi and I aren't fictional characters.”

“I know, and we totally won’t go too far, I promise.” Penelope said. “Studies have proven that having a rich and fulfilling fantasy life will help you live longer and maintain your health. I can send you some links to fandoms, fic, and great stuff about shipping. Who’s your all-time favorite movie couple?”

“There's so many to choose from…movies were a big part of my life growing up.”

“Well think about it, and don’t be embarrassed if it ends up being Gidget and Moondoggie or Nick and Nora Charles or even Ally Sheedy and…”

“Jack and Joy.” Erin replied. “I think I would pick Jack and Joy from _Shadowlands_. Yes, definitely.”

“I've never seen _Shadowlands_ , have you Kevin?”

“No, I don’t think so.” he shook his head. “We can download it and watch…once we leave the jobs they pay us for and have time on our hands for such frivolities.”

“Nice save, Mr. Lynch.”

“Yes ma'am, and I'm heading to do that job right now.” He got up from his chair, walking over to refill his coffee cup one more time.

“Penelope, it’s always a delight.” Erin smiled when Kevin was out of the room. “Each encounter we have leaves me walking away with something new to think about.”

“I hope they're good thoughts, ma'am.”

“They're thoughts. When you get some time rent _Shadowlands_ …it’s a bit sad but there is so much beauty in it, from the scenery to the prose.”

“Does Rossi like the movie?” Penelope asked.

“You know, I've never even bothered to ask him. Thank you so much for the coffee but it’s time to get back upstairs to work. Have a good day.”

“You too, ma'am. Thanks for being a good sport about shipping. We totally don’t mean any harm, it’s just better to talk about the happy things in our heads sometimes and not the atrocities on our computer screens.”

“That I understand. Goodbye.”

Erin walked out of the kitchen and ran smack into Dave. She had no idea how it happened since she was paying attention to where she as going. At least she thought she was paying attention. She gasped when they touched, jumping back as if he was on fire. Dave laughed some, it was his smug laugh, putting his hand on her hip to steady her.

“I'm fine.” Erin gently took his hand and put it back in his space.

“They ship us, huh? And you didn’t even let me stay around to find out what in the hell that means.”

“We’re their otp.” Erin said.

“O-what now?”

“O-T-P,” she said the three letters slowly. “It means one true pairing. While they do ship others in the office, we’re their favorite. I almost think it’s rather endearing though certainly peculiar.”

“I wonder who else around here ships us.” Dave’s eyes scanned the busy bullpen. “If I did a blind poll I wonder what the results would be.”

“Add Hotch and Prentiss to the list as well. They’re amazing but not quite otp amazing, this according to Penelope.”

“Now you're shipping Hotch and Prentiss?” Dave couldn’t help but smirk. “I leave you alone for 10 minutes and this is what I come back to? I'm banning you and Penelope from speaking anymore.”

“Don’t worry about it, I think I'm banning me and Penelope from speaking anymore.” Erin said. 

“Well,” he cleared his throat. “Have a nice day, Erin.”

“David?” her voice stopped him as he was walking away. 

She didn’t say it too loud, almost as if she didn’t want anyone to know that she spoke to him. Eyes were already on them though…Erin brought stares whenever she came down to their floor. No one wanted the wrath of the dreaded Section Chief. Those who were looking of course pretended not to be. Some weren’t as good at it as others.

“Don’t call me David.” He said. “Don’t call me David here.”

“It’s your name; I'm not allowed to call you by your name. You always call me by my first name even though I’m your superior. We shouldn’t be on the first name basis.”

“You wanted to ask a question?”

“Have you ever seen _Shadowlands_?” Erin asked.

“The Tony Hopkins movie? The one about C.S. Lewis?”

“Yes.” She nodded.

“No.”

“You should. I think it would explain a lot.”

“About what?” Rossi asked.

“OTPs are always endgame. It might hurt like hell but those are the rules. I didn’t make up the rules.”

Erin turned and walked out of the BAU office. Dave just stood there for a while, his eyes following her. He had no idea what just happened. OTPs, C.S. Lewis, endgame…it all sounded like an impossible riddle. He was a pretty smart man but was going to need more clues than that.

“Hey Rossi?”

“Yes, Penelope?” Dave went straight to the water cooler while Penelope stood at the coffeemaker.

“Have you ever seen _Shadowlands_?” she asked.

“You're the second person to ask me that in the past 60 seconds. What gives?”

“I have no idea because I haven’t seen it yet. I think Kevin and I are going to rent it over the weekend. You should too,” she was walking out of the kitchen and into the bullpen. “It might help you figure some things out.”

Rossi was supposed to be finishing all the paperwork piling up on his desk this morning. It would likely go untouched since he planned to return to his office and download the movie. While the feeling didn’t make much sense, Dave felt as if he was on a ship that was sailing without him. He wanted to climb aboard before the water got too deep.

***


End file.
